Hammock-stringing methods and assemblies



Dec. 29, 1970 A. L. KOTLER HAMMOCK-STRINGING METHODS AND ASSEMBLIESFiled Sept. 24, 1968 INVENTOR AARON L. KOTLER ATTORNEYS United StatesPatent O Net Company, Algoma, Wis., a corporation of Wiscousin FiledSept. 24, 1968, Ser. No. 761,937 Int. Cl. A45f 3/22 US. Cl. 5-122 1Claim ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A plurality of stringing loops formedon and across the end of a hammock bed are gathered together in aplurality of spaced groups or sets through which an elongated cord isstrung, said cord being inserted through a supporting ring or othercord-engaging element carried by the hammock stand after passing througheach of said sets of stringing loops. Thus there is provided asingle-cord stringing assembly which results in increased speed andefficiency in the stringing operation, as well as providing a supportingassembly which is self-adjusting to ensure that a weight on the hammockbed is borne uniformly by all of said stringing loops.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Field of the invention The present inventionrelates to the art of manufacturing and assembling hammocks, and moreparticularly to Stringing assemblies for hammocks.

Description of the prior art In most conventional hammocks of the typeemploying stringing loops formed on and across the head and foot ends ofthe hammock bed, the common method of securing said bed to the stand orother support is to arrange said stringing loops in adjacent sets and totie an individual cord to each of said sets and to a ring or the likecarried by the supporting stand. One of the disadvantages of suchconventional stringing arrangement, however, is that said connectingcords are frequently slightly uneven in length, especially after theyare tied, with the result that when a person lies on the hammock some ofthe stringing loops are taut and support all of the weight while othersbear none of the load. As a consequence the wear on said supportingstrings is uneven and it has been found that such conventional stringingassemblies break after a relatively short time and must be frequentlyreplaced. In addition, the uneven weight distribution can aflfect thestability of the bed.

Another disadvantage of the above-described conventionalhammock-stringing method is that the manual tying of individual cords toeach of the multiple sets of stringing loops, and to the supporting ringor rings carried by the stand, is a time-consuming and tedious job thatadds to the manufacturing cost of the hammock.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION The present invention provides a new andimproved hammock-stringing method and assembly wherein a singleelongated supporting cord is strung back and forth through spaced groupsor sets of stringing loops formed on and across the end of the hammockbed, and through a ring or rings carried by the hammock stand or othersupport, which single cord arrangement not only speeds and facilitatesthe stringing operation and reduces the manufacturing cost of thehammock, but which assembly permits said stringing loops to shiftposition in response to a load on the bed to provide self-centeringmeans for ensuring said load is borne uniformly by all of the loops,thereby Patented Dec. 29, 1970 greatly increasing the life of saidstringing assembly as well as enhancing the stability of the bed.

A further object of the present invention is to provide a novelstringing assembly utilizing a single elongated supporting cord, asdescribed, which cord is designed to be strung back and forth betweenthe stringing loops and the supporting ring or rings in a manner wherebydouble cord strands extend between each of said sets of stringing loopsand said rings to provide increased strength and ,support.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel stringing methodand assembly that can be utilized with supporting rings of either theopen or closed variety, thereby increasing the versatility and utilityof the hammock bed.

A further object is to provide a hammock-stringing assembly as describedwherein the stringing loops and coacting loop-engaging cord are formedof different mate- -rials which are compatible to minimize friction andwear between said relatively movable elements, thereby furtherincreasing the life of the stringing assembly.

A further object of the invention is to provide a novel and improvedhammock-stringing method and assembly .as described wherein thestringing loops are formed of nylon or similar material havingsufiicient inherent stiffness to permit said loops to be readilymanually grasped and held in position for the projection of thesupporting cord therethrough during the stringing operation. A furtherobject of the invention is to provide a novel hammock-stringing methodand assembly including means for effectively securing the hammock bed toa spreader bar to prevent said bed from shifting on the bar and bunchingat the center thereof, as commonly occurs with conventionalhammock-supporting assemblies,

Still further objects of the present invention are to provide a new andimproved hammock-stringing method and assembly which is simple, which isreliable in use, which is attractive in appearance, and which isotherwise particularly well adapted for its intended purposes.

With the above and other objects and advantages in view, which otherobjects and advantages will become apparent hereinafter, the inventioncomprises the improved hammock-stringing method and assembly hereinafterdescribed and also any and all variations or modifications thereof asmay come within the spirit of said invention, and within the scope ofthe claims appended hereto.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS In the accompanying drawings, whereinthe same reference numerals designate the same parts in all of theviews:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary perspective view of the head end of a hammockfeaturing the improved stringing assembly;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary perspective view of the foot end of a hammockincorporating the invention;

FIG. 3 is an enlarged elevational and diagrammatic view illustrating thenovel stringing method;

FIG. 4 is a similar elevational view with the stringing assemblycompleted; and

FIG. 5 is a fragmentary elevational view of the head end of a hammockbed showing the means included in the present invention for securing thebed in position on a spreader bar.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Referring now moreparticularly to FIG. 1 of the drawings, illustrated therein is a hammockbed 10 the head end 11 of which is provided with a plurality ofsubstantially-equally spaced stringing loops 12 which are preferablymachine sewn thereto. In the preferred form of the present inventionsaid stringing loops 12 are formed of nylon or a similar synthetic inlieu of the cotton string or twine ordinarily used, the purpose of whichwill be hereinafter seen. The number of said stringing loops 12 formedacross the bed, and the spacing therebetween, can be varied dependingupon the width and style of the ham.- mock and the invention is not tobe limited in this respect.

In the hammock illustrated in FIG. 1 the bed is suspended between theends of a unitary tubular metal frame 13, but it is to be understoodthat said bed could be suspended between two trees or any other suitablespaced supports. Carried by said frame 13, or other support, are a pairof spaced cord-receiving elements such as the oval-shaped steel rings 14and 15, and extending between said rings and the stringing loops 12 isthe novel one-piece supporting cord 16 featured in the presentinvention. Said cord 16 is preferably formed of Dacron or other suitablesynthetic different from the material used for the stringing loops 12,the purpose of which will be hereinafter described, and the length ofsaid cord is dependent upon the width of the particular bed and can bevaried as required.

Referring now to FIG. 3 of the drawings, in accordance with the novelstringing method comprising the present invention a predetermined numberof the stringing loops 12 adjacent one edge of the hammock bed (on theleft in the drawing) are manually gathered together in an upwardlyconverging group or set 20, the number of loops in the set dependingupon the width of the bed and the number of sets intended to be formedthereacross. It is preferred to form an odd number of loop sets, thepurpose of which will become apparent hereinafter. As mentioned, saidstringing loops 12 are formed of nylon or other semi-stiff syntheticmaterial, thereby permitting the person assembling the hammock toreadily insert a finger through a predetermined number of loops toposition the same to receive the cord 16, as will be described. This isin contrast to conventional cotton twine stringing loops whose totallack of rigidity causes said loops to fall over at random and makes thegrasping and arrangement of the same in sets relatively difficult. Theresult is that said nylon stringing loops are not only substantiallymore durable and long-lasting than the cotton twine loops heretoforeused, but they increase the speed and efficiency of the stringingoperation.

The end of the cord 16 is then tied to said first group or set 20 ofstringing loops by means of a knot 17, and said cord is drawn upwardlythrough the first ring 14 carried by the hammock stand or other support.With respect to said supporting rings 14 and 15, incidentally, with thepresent stringing assembly said rings can be of either the open orclosed variety, thereby permitting the use of the bed with a variety ofexisting hammock units and increasing the versatility of said bed.Moreover, it is to be understood that other cord-receiving elementscould be used in lieu of said rings without departing from the spiritand scope of the present invention.

After passing through the ring 14 the elongated cord 16 is insertedthrough a second set 21 of stringing loops 12 which are similarlymanually collected and held in position to receive the same, said cordpassing freely through said loops without being tied or otherwisesecured thereto. The cord is then drawn upwardly through the ring 14again, thereby providing dual cord strands extending between said secondstringing loop set 21 and the supporting ring.

The cord 16 is next carried downwardly and inserted freely through athird set 22 of stringing loops, and is then projected upwardly throughthe ring 14. Again dual cord strands 16 are provided between said ringand the stringing loops.

After passing through the ring 14, the cord 16 is directed downwardlyagain and is projected through a set 23 of stringing loops locatedintermediate the width of the bed, said cord then being strung upwardlythrough the second supporting ring 15.

Next said cord 16 is directed downwardly through the adjacent loop set24, and is passed upwardly through the ring 15 to provide double cordstrands therebetween. The next loop set 25 is similarly threaded by thecord 16, and after being again drawn through the ring 15 said cord isdirected downwardly through the end loop set 26 and back upwardlythrough said ring.

Referring still to FIG. 3, after being inserted through the endstringing loops 26 and supporting ring 15 the cord 16 is drawndownwardly through the intermediate stringing loop set 23, thenceupwardly through the first ring 14, and downwardly again through thefirst loop set 20, where it is tied to said stringing loops by a knot 27(FIG. 4). By returning the cord to the first set 20 of stringing loopsin the manner described dual cord strands are provided between theintermediate stringing loop set 23 and both of the rings 14, 15, as wellas between said ring 14 and the first loop set 20. Thus a doublesupporting strand arrangement is provided across the entire width of thehammock bed for maximum strength and dependability. To enhance theappearance of the unit, as well as to prevent the cord from tangling,ornamental plastic or tape collars 28 can be secured around theconverging cord strands immediately beneath the rings 14, 15 (FIGS. 1and 4).

With reference now more particularly to FIG. 4 of the drawings, afterthe elongated cord 16 has been alternately woven back and forth throughthe stringing loop sets 2026 and supporting rings 14, 15 and tied asdescribed, any tension or load on the bed will cause said stringingassembly to assume a taut condition. Moreover, due to the fact that thesolitary supporting cord 16 is tied at only one side of the hammock, andthe other stringing loops are freely slidable thereon, said loop setswill automatically shift on said cord in response to a load on thehammock to ensure the bed will be centered and that the load will beborne equally by all of said stringing loops. The result is even anduniform wear which substantially increases the life of the stringingassembly. As hereinabove mentioned, in conventional stringingarrangements wherein individual cords are tied between each set ofstringing loops and the supporting rings deviations in the lengths ofsaid cords is almost unavoidable due to one knot being tied tighter thanthe next, as well as other factors, and an unequal distribution of theload among said loop sets results which causes uneven wear andrelatively rapid deterioration of the stringing assembly.

In FIG. 2 of the drawings there is illustrated the foot end 30 of ahammock featuring a slightly modified version of the novel and improvedstringing method and assembly comprising the present invention. Said bedfoot end includes a plurality of stringing loops 12 arranged in adjacentgroups or sets 31-35, the number of sets and loops therein dependingupon the width of the hammock, and a single cord 36 is tied to the firstset by a knot 38 and strung backwardly and forwardly through said loopsets and a single supporting ring 37 carried by the hammock stand 13.Because the foot end of a hammock bed is not ordinarily required tosupport as much weight as the opposite end it has been found that it isnot essential to provide dual cord strands across the entire width ofthe bed foot end. Consequently, said cord 36 is merely tied off at thelast loop set 35 by means of a knot 39, rather than being directed backthrough the supporting ring and tied to the first loop set as in theform of the invention illustrated in FIGS. 3 and 4. It is to beunderstood, however, that with hammock-lounges, as well as many otherstyles of hammocks, it might be preferred to utilize the completedual-strand stringing arrangement shown in FIGS. 3 and 4 at both thehead and foot ends of the bed, and the invention is not to be limited orconfined in this respect.

As hereinabove mentioned, in accordance with the prefered embodiment ofthe present invention the stringing loops 12 are formed of nylon whilethe coacting cord 16 is formed of Dacron or other dissimilar synthetic,said materials being substantially stronger and more durable than thecotton twine utilized in conventional hammockstringing assemblies andthe relatively stiff nature of such nylon stringing loops speeding andfacilitating the stringing operation. In addition it has been found thatby using two dissimilar materials the frictional wear and cutting actionbetween said relatively movable loop and cord elements is minimized.Moreover, there is little or no undesirable slipping between saidelements such as occurs when they are formed of the same material.

With reference now to FIG. of the drawings, in addition to the severalimportant advantages and features hereinabove enumerated, the novelstringing assembly comprising the present invention also includes meansfor maintaining the head end of the hammock bed in a smooth, spreadposition. As is well known in the art, a rigid so-called spreader barsuch as the bar 41 is commonly inserted in the hem 40 or otherwiseaffixed transversely across the head end of the fabric or canvas hammockbed to maintain said bed in a spread condition for the convenience andcomfort of a person lying thereon. Unfortunately, however, it frequentlyhappens that the bed material shifts on the spreader bar and bunches uptoward the middle, which is undesirable.

To remedy this situation, in accordance with the present invention anannular groove 42 is formed adjacent each end of the spreader bar 41,and short supplemental cords 43 are tied to the end sets of stringingloops 12. One end of the cord is then sewed through the material fromthe bottom out through the top side and back again through the materialfrom the top to the bottom, making sure the cord is in position to forcethe bed material into said groove 42 in the spreader bar. The second endof the cord is then sewn in the same way, but in the opposite direction,thus providing two free ends which are tied in a knot 44 on theunderside of the bed. The same proce dure is followed at the oppositeend of the spreader, thereby providing a simple but effectivearrangement whereby the opposite edges of the bed are positively joinedto the ends of the spreader bar, and said bed material cannot shift orbunch up on the bar.

From the foregoing detailed description it will be seen that the presentinvention provides a novel and improved stringing method and assemblyhaving a number of advantages over the stringing means heretoforeemployed in the manufacture of hammocks. In accordance with the presentinvention there is provided a new and improved hammock-stringing methodand assembly wherein a single elongated supporting cord is utilized inlieu of the multiple cord arrangement employed in conventional stringingassemblies, which single cord arrangement speeds the stringing operationand reduces the manufacturing cost of the hammock. In addition, becausethe stringing loops are freely engaged on said cord they areself-centering to ensure a load on the hammock is borne uniformly by allof said loops, thereby greatly increasing the life of said assembly aswell as enhancing the stability of the bed.

Further advantages of the present invention are that the singlestringing cord can be arranged to form double supporting strands forincreased strength and support, and said stringing assembly can beutilized with either open or closed-style supporting rings. In addition,said cord and the associated stringing loops are formed of differentmaterials to minimize friction and wear, and the greater degree ofstiffness and rigidity of said stringing loop material facilitates themanual grasping and arranging of said loops in sets to increase thespeed and efficiency of the stringing operation in comparison toconventional stringing methods.

Still further advantages of the present invention are that the improvedstringing method and assembly is simple, it is reliable, and it isattractive in appearance.

It is to be understood that while a preferred embodiment of the presentinvention has been illustrated and hereinabove described, numerousvariations or modifications will undoubtedly occur to those skilled inthis art. What is intended to be covered herein, therefore, is not onlythe illustrated form of the invention but also any and all variations ormodifications thereof as may come within the spirit of said invention,and within the scope of the following claims.

What I claim is:

1. In a hammock unit including a pair of cord-engaging elementscomprising spaced first and second rings carried by a support, and ahammock bed having an end adjacent and spaced from said cord-engagingelements, the improved stringing assembly comprising: a plurality ofstringing loops projecting from said bed end across substantially theentire width thereof, said loops being formed of a synthetic materialcharacterized by a degree of rigidity permitting said loops to be easilymanually grasped and manipulated during the stringing operation, andsaid individual stringing loops being gathered together in an odd numberof spaced sets with the center loop set located intermediate the widthof the bed with one of said cord-engaging rings located on each side ofsaid center loop set; a single elongated support cord formed of asynthetic material different than the material from which said stringingloops are formed secured to the first stringing loop set at one side ofsaid bed and freely slidably strung back and forth consecutively betweenthe first cord-engaging ring and the stringing loop sets on that side ofsaid center loop set, thence freely slidably strung through said centerloop set and consecutively back and forth between the secondcord-engaging ring and the stringing loop sets on the other side of saidcenter loop set, and wherein after passing through the last loop setsaid cord is directed in the opposite direction back through said secondring, through the center loop set, thence through the first ring, and isfinally passed through and tied to said first stringing loop set,thereby providing double cord strands between said rings and all of saidstringing loop sets, the dissimilar materials from which said supportcord and stringing loops are formed promoting the free relative slidingmovement of said loop sets on the cord and promoting the shiftingself-adjustment of said stringing assembly to accommodate a load on thebed and to ensure substantially equal distribution of the load forcesamong said plural loop sets; a spreader bar extending across said bedadjacent the end thereof, said spreader bar having an annular grooveformed therein adjacent each end thereof; and a relatively short lengthof supplemental cord secured to the stringing loop set at each side ofthe hammock, each of said supplemental cords having first and secondends sewn through said bed and arranged in opposite directions tightlyaround said spreader bar in a manner to clampingly retain the bedmaterial in the adjacent spreader bar annular groove to prevent shiftingor bunching of said bed material at the center of the bar, and saidsupplemental cord ends being tied on the underside of said bed.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 483,930 10/1892 Knight 5123552,229 12/1895 Bidwell 5--122 811,922 2/1960 Hohlfeld 5--123 1,071,9549/1913 Pietilainen 5--122 1,917,518 7/1933 Goudie 5120 3,321,780 5/1967Morris 5-123 BOBBY R. GAY, Primary Examiner US. Cl. X.R. 5123

